Photo from David Garrigues dvd set, A Guide to the Primary SeriesShot at the Nandi Temple in Mysore, India

On building bridges, internally and externally, through our practice.

David Garrigues created the Asana Kitchen to provide a platform for students to ask questions and receive thorough answers. David chooses the asana based on how many students have asked the question. The questions David receives about asanas come from beginning to advanced students which is why there is a range of different level students represented in the videos.

Ram’s setu bandha (literally, bridge) is the ultimate bridge that reunites Ram and Sita. Built by Ram’s (the Self) army, composed of monkeys, bears, and other creatures it is made of stones that float on water because they have been magically etched with Ram’s name.

This setu bandha is the means by which the self crosses through the psyche, through the ocean of citta vritti’s, to win back buddhi (the awakened intellect), the feminine principle of receptive discerning awareness.

Hanuman etching Ram’s name into the stones that will build the bridge to Lanka.Ram crossing the bridge to save Sita.

About David Garrigues

David Garrigues is an international yoga teacher. He is recognized as one of a few teachers in the US certified to teach Ashtanga Yoga by the late world renown yoga master Sri K Pattabhi Jois. As an Ashtanga Ambassador he bases his teachings on the idea that 'Anyone can take practice', a core idea in the teachings of Sri K Pattabhi Jois.
David's mission is to help others flourish within the living, contemporary lineage of Ashtanga Yoga. He aims to be part of an ever wider circle of people who are committed to applying the teachings of ashtanga yoga in ways that promote physical, psychological, and spiritual growth in themselves and others.
David's website and highly popular youtube video channel, Asana Kitchen, has a wealth of free, expert yoga instructional materials to inspire progress in beginner through advanced practitioners. He is the author of three Ashtanga Yoga dvd's, A Guide to the Primary Series, A Guide to the Ashtanga Yoga Pranayama Sequence, and A Guide to the Second Series.
His book Vayu Siddhi: A Guide to Free Breathing was written and inspired by yogic sacred texts on the science of asana and pranayama, the two favorite subjects of students of ashtanga yoga.
He is the director of the Ashtanga Yoga School of Philadelphia and the Ashtanga Yoga School of Kovalam in India.

I see that you teach this internal spiral action with inner thighs in Setu Bandhasana and for so long i have had my feet flexed toes out, knees out to prepare and always feel this crunched feeling in my lower back. So it makse sense to inwardly spiral and open the sacrum. I have noticed with other teachers they dont mention this. Can you help explain